Two teams battling for their lives towards the bottom of the La Liga table will lock horns on Friday evening, with Espanyol welcoming Cadiz to RCDE Stadium.
Espanyol are currently 19th in the division, boasting just 27 points from their opening 29 matches, while Cadiz sit 16th, four points above their opponents ahead of the huge fixture in Spain's top flight.
Match preview
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Espanyol finished 14th in La Liga last season on their return to the top flight, but they are facing the possibility of dropping back down to the Segunda Division for the 2023-24 campaign.
Indeed, a disappointing season has seen the White and Blues pick up just 27 points courtesy of a record of six wins, nine draws and 14 defeats from 29 matches, which has left them in 19th position in the table.
It is not quite time for the Catalan outfit to hit the panic button, as they are only three points behind 17th-placed Almeria, but there is no question that the team's recent form is a huge concern.
Luis Garcia's side have lost each of their last six league matches, including a 3-1 defeat at Real Betis last time out, with their last win in Spain's top flight coming at home to Mallorca at the end of February.
Espanyol have the second-worst home record in La Liga this season, only picking up 13 points from 14 matches, which is the same number of points that Cadiz have claimed on their travels this term.
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Cadiz are in their third straight season at this level of football, which represents their best run since the early 1990s, and they are outside of the relegation zone heading into the next set of fixtures.
A total of 31 points from 29 matches has left the Yellow Submarine in 16th position in the table, four points ahead of 18th-placed Valencia, so a victory on Friday night would open up some serious ground on the bottom three at a vital stage of the campaign.
Cadiz are only one point behind 14th-placed Real Valladolid, and a positive result in this match would lead them nicely into back-to-back home fixtures against Osasuna and Valencia.
Sergio Gonzalez's side, who lost 2-0 to Real Madrid last weekend, have not enjoyed themselves too much in front of their own fans this term, though, boasting the third-worst home record in the division, claiming only 18 points from 15 matches.
The last two La Liga meetings between Cadiz and Espanyol have finished 2-2, while the last contest at RCDE Stadium finished 2-0 to the home side in October 2021.
Team News
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Espanyol will again be without the services of Brian Olivan due to a muscular problem, but the home side will be boosted by the return of three players from suspensions.
Indeed, Aleix Vidal, Fernando Calero and Oscar Gil all served bans against Real Betis last time out, and the trio are expected to come back into the starting side for this contest.
Despite their struggles this season, Espanyol have two players who have contributed goals on a regular basis this term, with Joselu netting 12 in Spain's top flight, while Martin Braithwaite has nine, and the pair will again feature in the final third of the field in this match.
As for Cadiz, Gonzalo Escalante, Brian Ocampo, Juan Cala, Jon Ander Garrido and Joseba Zaldua will miss the contest due to injury problems.
However, Jeremias Ledesma is available after a four-game suspension, and the goalkeeper is set to return alongside defender Iza Carcelen, who is also available after a ban.
Head coach Sergio will have taken positives from the defeat to Real Madrid last time out, so the bulk of the side should again start, with Chris Ramos likely to feature alongside Sergi Guardiola in the final third.
Espanyol possible starting lineup:
Pacheco; Vidal, Calero, Cabrera, Gil; Exposito, Gragera; Puado, Darder, Braithwaite; Joselu
Cadiz possible starting lineup:
Ledesma; Carcelen, Hernandez, Fali, Espino; Bongonda, Fede, Alcaraz, Sobrino; Ramos, Guardiola
We say: Espanyol 1-1 Cadiz
This is a huge game for both sides at a vital stage of the campaign, but we are finding it very difficult to separate them. It would not be a shock to see a home or indeed an away win, but we just have a feeling that a tight match on Friday night will end with a share of the spoils.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Matt Law
